Lopez hoping to end year with a victory

Dec. 12, 2013

Updated 6:59 p.m.

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Josesito Lopez,left, landing a right to the head of Canelo Alvarez during their WBC super-welterweight title fight in September, ends the season with a bout against Mike Arnaoutis (24-92, 11 KOs) in a welterweight fight at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio. JOSH HEDGES, GETTY IMAGES,

Josesito Lopez,left, landing a right to the head of Canelo Alvarez during their WBC super-welterweight title fight in September, ends the season with a bout against Mike Arnaoutis (24-92, 11 KOs) in a welterweight fight at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio. JOSH HEDGES, GETTY IMAGES,

FIGHT OF THE WEEK

ADRIEN BRONER vs. MARCOS MAIDANA

When: Saturday

Where: Alamodome, San Antonio

TV: Showtime, 5 p.m.

Outlook: Broner (27-0, 22 KOs) has been billed as the future, but beating Maidana (34-3, 31 KOs) will not be easy. This will be Broner’s second fight at welterweight. He defeated Paulie Malignaggi in June for the WBA title. He still holds his lightweight (135) title. This is Broner’s toughest test. If he’s able to defeat a fighter as relentless as Maidana, that will go a long way to cementing his name as the next big thing.

Prediction: Maidana will present Broner with some serious physical challenges. How Broner reacts to the first big clean punch from Maidana will tell a lot. As will Maidana’s reaction to Broner’s defensive skills and counter-punching ability. On those points, the pick is Broner by decision.

Record in 2013: 31-9

DAMIAN CALHOUN

Josesito Lopez returns to the boxing ring Friday night, but not in his customary position as an underdog.

Lopez, who is known as the Riverside Rocky, is looking to end the year with a victory against Mike Arnaoutis (24-92, 11 KOs) in a welterweight fight at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio.

The fight will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 starting at 7 p.m.

“I laid off for a couple of months and got back into it and started training slowly,” he said. “That was necessary for my body. I feel good now, and I’m excited to get back in.”

The frenetic pace for Lopez (30-6, 18 KOs) began June 23, 2012. He was a late fill-in to face Victor Ortiz and pulled off the upset in a grueling nine-round technical decision.

After that, he jumped up 154 pounds to face Canelo Alvarez. He put up a good fight but was overwhelmed by the bigger and stronger fighter.

His first fight of this year was a back-and-forth slugfest with Marcos Maidana in June. Lopez was stopped in the sixth round.

He was scheduled to be back in the ring in September, but a shoulder injury pushed his return to December.

“He’s healthy, he’s motivated and he wants to get back in there and get the Maidana loss behind him,” Lopez’s trainer, Henry Ramirez, said.

The Maidana loss is one that still stings Lopez. The fight quickly turned into the brawl that everyone expected. Lopez staggered Maidana in the fourth round with a big left hook.

Two rounds later, Maidana sent Lopez to the canvas with a right hand and the momentum had swung. Lopez didn’t make it out of the round. Referee Dr. Lou Moret eventually stopped the fight as Maidana swarmed Lopez in the corner.

“That was disappointing to me,” Lopez said. “I felt like the stoppage was too early. He connected a good punch, a good combination, no doubt about that, but we’re professionals, you’re supposed to let us fight through.

“The ref must have seen something that nobody else saw. That is something that I’m past, but I would like to (face Maidana) again sometime.”

Lopez seems intent to dive deep into the potentially troubling waters at welterweight. Friday will be only his third at 147 pounds.

“This is what we train for and that’s to fight the best,” Lopez said. “I want to prove myself against all at 147 pounds.

“Big things are coming. 2014 should be a good year.”

THE KID DE LA HOYA

Diego De La Hoya, the cousin of Oscar De La Hoya, is on Friday night’s undercard in his second professional fight. De La Hoya, 19, made his debut Sept. 12 with a third-round TKO victory over Luis Cosme.

“We want to keep him busy,” Joel Diaz, Diego’s trainer said. “I told him I would like to see him get 6-8 fights next year.

“He has a name on his back, and that’s a big responsibility. … Just because he has a name, you don’t want to push him too hard and exceed his limits. If he goes slow, but at the right pace, then I think he can make it and be a superstar.”

NOTES

Showtime Sports closes the year with a quadruple-header Saturday night in San Antonio, starting at 5 p.m. Adrien Broner will defend his WBA welterweight title against Maidana in the main event. The card also will feature Keith Thurman against Jesus Soto Karass, Leo Santa Cruz defending his WBC junior-featherweight title against Cesar Seda and WBA light-heavyweight champion Bebut Shumenov defending his title against Tamas Kovacs. …

NBC Sports Network will air the Amir Mansour-Kelvin Price heavyweight fight Saturday at 5 p.m. “The Good Son: The Life of Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini,” will follow at 7 p.m.

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